Marlins 2019 MLB Draft Targets: Florida Gators

The 2019 MLB Draft will be the Miami Marlins’ second draft under the Derek Jeter regime. In the first draft, the Fish focused up the middle by drafting outfielder Connor Scott, middle infielder Osiris Johnson and catcher Will Banfield during the early rounds.

In order to acquire even more impact talent this time around, the Marlins should put a special emphasis on scouting their own backyard. They are surrounded by some of the top high school prospects and colleges in the country. The state of Florida is a hot bed for baseball and has produced some of the best players in the game at all levels.

Here are three 2019 MLB draft eligible players from the Florida Gators who could hear their names get called by the Marlins.

1. RHP Tyler Dyson

RHP Tyler Dyson was a key contributor to a National Championship run for a Gators program that continues to develop great pitching. As a freshman, Dyson made 24 appearances and two starts. Dyson had a 4-0 record with a 3.23 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 39 innings pitched. He also got the start against the LSU Tigers for the National Championship Game. One of the nation’s top sophomore pitchers going into the 2018 season, he had a great start to the season, but suffered an injury sidelining him the rest of the way. Dyson appeared in 14 games and started in 11. He finished with a 5-3 record with a 4.47 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 50.1 innings pitched.

Over the summer, the Gators ace pitched for the Falmouth Commodores in the Cape Cod League. Dyson only made three starts with a 1-1 record and a 2.36 ERA. He also threw nineteen innings allowing twelve hits, five runs and struck out 23.

Dyson will be a collegiate prospect most if not all MLB teams will keep an eye on. Coming off the injury, he needs to have a big season in order to get back to rebuild his first-round draft value. Dyson’s a power fastball that can touch 98 mph and also has a “put away slider” that has come a long way. The Marlins won’t reach for him fourth overall, but might be able to snag him at their next opportunity with the 34^th pick.

2. OF Wil Dalton

Going into last season, outfielder Wil Dalton was an unknown prospect, but UF head coach Kevin O’Sullivan was very high on him. The JUCO outfielder had a very strong first season at Florida and is one of the top power hitters in the SEC. At Colombia State, Dalton batted .392 with 21 doubles, 15 home runs and 58 RBIs. In his first season at Florida, Dalton was Second Team All-SEC and participated in the College Home Run Derby. He finished his sophomore season with a .262 batting average, nineteen home runs, 60 RBIs and a .880 OPS.

Dalton is another intriguing prospect to watch out of the University of Florida. He has the skillset to be one of the top hitters in the country with power potential to all fields and good outfield defense. One thing he needs to work on is his strikeouts. Dalton struck out too many times last season and will need to cut those strikeouts in half. He also needs to more selective at the plate as he only had 25 walks in seventy games. The junior outfielder has first round potential but is more likely to get drafted early-middle second round. The Miami Marlins might want to add another outfielder to their farm system and Dalton is a nice candidate.

3. OF Austin Langworthy

Another Gators outfielder that is one of the top prospects out of the University of Florida and SEC is Austin Langworthy. The left-handed hitter has been a starter for the Florida Gators since he stepped foot on campus. As a freshman, Langworthy finished with a .238 batting average, ten doubles, four home runs and 35 walks. He was also a 2017 Second Team Freshman All-American on Perfect Game. As a sophomore, Langworthy had a .290 batting average with ten doubles, four home runs and a .807 OPS. He also came up with a clutch walk-off home run versus Auburn that sent the Florida Gators to the College World Series.

Over the summer, Austin Langworthy played with Tyler Dyson on the Falmouth Commodores in the Cape Cod League. Langworthy had a decent summer with a .207 batting average, seven home runs and 16 RBIs. The Gators left fielder finished seventh on the team in OPS with a .758 OPS.

Austin Langworthy is a good contact hitter that can drive the ball to all fields well. He demonstrates sneaky power especially from the pull side. He is also a patient hitter and does a good job of getting on base. Langworthy is a very solid outfielder and has only made one error in his two season as a Gator. This full package should make him a Top 100 pick that the Marlins might have a shot at early in the third or fourth round of the draft.